Stoner says his Assen practice crash will hurt, but not hinder, him at the Sachsenring

Although the Australian was able to win the Dutch TT despite his violent fall in Friday practice, he expects the Sachsenring track to be more punishing to his injuries, yet hopes Honda's form at the track will be strong enough even if he is not physically at 100 per cent. Honda won the last two German GPs with Dani Pedrosa.

"I'm not liking the fact that that first section is all right-handers and long ones - that's going to hurt a little on that side of my neck," said Stoner.

"But in general we've had some pretty good results at the Sachsenring. We know Dani's fast there and we had a great race there last year, so we'll see if we can find something competitive. I think we can hope for a half-decent result there."

Stoner described the Assen crash as one of the worst he has ever experienced.

"By the time qualifying came round, I'd really started feeling what was hurting badly," he said. "It's the first time I haven't got up and walked straight off after a crash. It really hurt.

"I've rarely, if ever, hit my head in my helmet, but there's a big old smash mark up my face. I came down on my shoulder and that's all bruised. And I somehow hurt my knee.

"So it was a painful one. I normally injure one aspect but there's that many different sore points over the body that it was hard to get out for qualifying."

While he did not feel the accident had impeded his form in the Assen race, he said it had made him particularly keen to avoid excessive risk.

"The crash did take a lot out of me. Not really confidence, but at the same time I didn't want to push hard enough to have another crash," Stoner explained. "I was already hurting enough and didn't want to build on that."